The Zig Zag Cafe is easy to miss, nestled alongside a maze of steps between Western Ave and Alaskan Way called the Pike Street Hill Climb. On a Friday night you'll find a comfortable crowd of mid twenty - forty somethings washing down their work week with well crafted cocktails. I get a sense that their veteran bartenders hold secrets for half the clientele straddling stools at the bar. I saw a familiar face and sat down with this crew of Speakeasy employees finishing up their bruschetta and drinks. We had a few laughs, I took a few photos. This is the image that ran:

and one that almost:

The Club Directory is published weekly in the print edition of the Stranger.

Out of wedding planning ideas? At a loss for where to find affordable knick knacks for your favors? There are a handful of resources online to spark your creativity and help keep your full price payments to a minimum. Here are a few that I share with my couples:

BLOGS
Offbeat Bride: http://offbeatbride.com/
Brooklyn Bride: http://bklynbride.blogspot.com/
$10,000 Wedding: http://tenthousandonly.blogspot.com/
Etsy Wedding: http://etsywedding.blogspot.com/

CRAFTS
Cudge (cheap candles!): http://cudge.net/
Specialty Bottle: http://www.specialtybottle.com/
Save-on Crafts: http://www.save-on-crafts.com/

Your wedding is a celebratory expression of who you and your partner are as a couple. The more personal you make it and the more people that you love that are involved in crafting it, the more intimate and meaningful it will be. Feel free to contact me for advice. I've been through this before!

I visited the Irish Emigrant in the University District for The Stranger's Club Directory this week.

One that didn't make the cut:

You can find the first photo in the print edition only, located in the back of the music section with a listing of addresses and contact information for clubs in the greater Seattle area. When I moved here in January of 1999, I would often reference the Club Directory when planning out my weekend to avoid getting lost or help make sense of the calendar listings. I'd call to find out what time Sleater-Kinney's set started at The Breakroom or what exactly was that crazy dance party people flocked to the Re-bar for every Thursday. Could I bring my camera? Was there a cover? Iphones and internet weren't an option back then and although they may be now, I still reach for the Club Directory first to find out where I'm going Saturday night.

Seattle songstress Bre Loughlin called me for engagement portraits a few weeks back. She and her fiance David are getting hitched in Vegas this summer and wanted to make some photos for their friends and family. We met up at the Pink Door in Post Alley, where they had their first date and the location David eventually chose to pop the question.

I arrived early to have lunch and serendipitously found a heart balloon hat lying behind the piano onstage beside me. He was hesitant but David endulged us for a frame or two.

We then walked around the area, following the path of many strolls they took during the beginning of their relationship.

Voyager One's new album Afterhours in the Afterlife will be out March 25, 2008 on Loveless Records. Peter and Jeramy contacted me to photograph them and the band's current lineup and here are the results.

I just returned from a long weekend on Orcas Island where I had a blast shooting the wedding of two hilarious, smart and loving people. The reception pics are exceptional - lots of dancing and laughing. I can't wait to share the photos with you! And the food - the Outlook Inn served the most delicious gorgonzola polenta I've ever had.

Lots of other stuff coming to the blog in the next few days - a band shoot with Voyager One and an engagement session with local rock star Bre Loughlin and her sweet fiance David.

If you're a romantic looking for a good cathartic cry, you'll find it by watching Sarah Polley's movie Away from Her. My eyes are having a double date with two refrigerated spoons.

Every year around Valentine's Day my girlfriends get together and throw a party to make sure everyone gets some love and attention. Each lady submits her lingerie sizes and preferences (e.g., yes boycut, no thongs), which are then assigned a number and given to another lady anonymously to buy for us. We are given the number, sizes and preferences of yet another lady. This culminates in an evening of food, drink, and dress up at Pretty Parlor, where they let you swing from the chandelier in your new panties. I'm super stoked because that evening is... sorry, it's a secret!

I of course bring my camera to document the fun and no, I won't tell you where the password protected photos are. I can, however, share these two of Erin and Carly. Erin unknowingly had Carly that year and gave her some Yoshimi designs; items from her clothing line. Carly had been lusting after Yoshimi (it's sold at the Parlor) but didn't know Erin personally. It was so much fun to watch these two connect for the first time. They were glued to each other the whole night and posted for a series of photos in their matching outfits.

Happy Valentine's Day to all my lovebirds out there! A perfect day to share some wedding photos from the low-light/hand-held master, Bradley Hanson. Robin and I were married October 19th of last year at Wallace Falls Lodge in Gold Bar, WA. The results were better than I could have imagined. All of our friends contributed in their own way; Erin Skipley of Bellatrix Studio painted me pretty, Carly Nicklaus from VAIN sculpted my tresses, Ruthie from Ruthie's Uniform crafted the perfect dress for my busty bod and sweet siren Amy Blaschke sang us down the aisle with a Buffy Sainte-Marie song. So many others came early to set up, woke up early to tear down, spent weekends helping with decorations, making invitations (invaluable Andrea!) and drafting the ceremony and vows over dinners and coffee breaks (you know who=). We are indebted to all, thank you!

All photos copyright Bradley Hanson Photography

The Boston Globe has a piece on Autumn de Wilde up. Autumn has been an inspiration to me since coming across her photographs in an Eleni Mandell album 8 years ago. I've had the opportunity to assist her a handful of times on shoots in the Seattle and Portland area. We met backstage at a Death Cab for Cutie show in 2004 and two years later I got a call from Barsuk to assist with a Long Winters, followed by a Jesse Sykes shoot. Since then, I've been part of the crew for a shoot with the Decemberists and recently, the UK band Switches. Coming full circle, I was asked to assist on a Death Cab shoot this week but sadly couldn't switch my schedule in time to make it work.

Jesse Sykes & Phil Wandscher by Autumn de Wilde:

the Long Wingers by Autumn de Wilde:

the Decemberists by Autumn de Wilde:

Makeup by Erin Skipley of Bellatrix Studio and styling assistance by Anna Lange of Pretty Parlor for all of the above. Shirley Kurata and Eden Batki (Autumn's team from LA) were first stylist and assistant for the Decemberists shoot.

I caught a private Cave Singers show at the Anne Bonney Sunday night. This sweet little girl was walking around and hopped up on Marty's drum kit. Dad handed her the sticks and she knew just what to do!

Robin cut Dave Hernandez's hair (of The Shins) on Friday at Halo in preparation for the Grammys. They didn't win, but I came across a photo of them on the red carpet (image #6 in the slideshow. Dave is on the far right) and I have to say his hair looked mighty good. My husband, grammy hairstylist!

listen along here.

been meeting in the back room, been gathering in the parking lot

been talking in the break room, of what we are doing with what we've got

been meeting on the front lawn, been gathering in the parking lot

been talking in the break room, of labour and unrest and eyeing the clock

are you ok with what you've got?

we're throwing down our push brooms, we're hanging up our apron ties

we're coming from the back roads, out of the fields and the factory lines

MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTINY!

we're throwing down our push brooms, we're hanging up our apron ties

we're coming from the back roads, out of the fields and the factory lines

tell your brother and your sister, tell your auntie and your uncle too

tell your mother and your father, your friends and your cousins and we need you

STRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE!

STRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE! Yeeeeeaaaaaaaaaah!

we're throwing down our push brooms, we're hanging up our apron ties

we've walked so far, but we can walk all night

we're marching from the shipyards, we're marching from the hospitals

we'll take it to the town hall, we'll take it to the capitol

tell your brother and your sister, tell your auntie and your uncle too

tell your mother and your father, your friends and your cousins and we need you

STRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE! STRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE!

we're throwing down our push brooms, we're hanging up our apron ties

we've walked so far, but we can walk all night

we're coming from the back roads, out of the fields and the factory lines

 

I was looking through old tour photos from when Night Canopy went out with Pretty Girls Make Graves and Moonrats. Most of a band's time on tour is spent in a sweaty van or waiting around dirty clubs in unfamiliar cities. Ours was no exception.

Derek before a show in Toronto

Leona

me wearing a hat Amy kniited on the road

Amy during the golden hour

Nick and his Tim Hortons

Andrea after a stressful border crossing

getting up and moving out

on the road again

All of these were taken with my Mamiya 645 medium format film camera.

the Eyes on Fremont blog posted a photo of me at a recent Pretty Parlor fashion show wearing a pair of their specs! i've been sporting their unique collection of designer & vintage frames since 2000. how could i focus without them? big props to Andrea & Dr. Louie!

photo by the lovely Sarah Joann Murphy